Stern construction of rigid airships



Dec. T 24. 1,517,885

K. ARNSTEIN STERN CONSTRUCTION OF RIGID AIRSHIPS' Filed Sept. 4. 1924 G E INVENTOB PM A44 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, I924.

UNIIEfi fiTATES rFicE. v

=21: ABZNSTEIN, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, BODENSEE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO LUFTSCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFT'UNG, OF

FBIEDRICHSHAFEN, BODENSEE, GERMAzNY.

STERN OONSTRUGTION.OF RIGID AIRSHIIS.

Application filed September 4, 1924. Serial No. 735,942.

T all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, KARL ARNSTEIN, a citizen of Czechoslovakia, and a resident of Friedrichshafen, Bodensee, Germany, have It invented certain new and useful Improvenients in Stern Constructions of Rigid Airships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a way of reinforc lo ing the stern of rigid airships especially in connection with fins.

;It has for some time been usual to construct the four fins of a rigid airship, serving for stabilizing the ship, without external bracing, giving them a triangular cross section. These bodily fins are rigidly connected to the hull of the ship which is made up of longitudinal members and cross members-the latter called rings.

an According to my invention the girders or ribs of the fins at those cross sections of the ship where there is a ring are carried right through this ring to the opposite ring corners there joining the girders or ribs of the op- 25 positely situated fin. Usually there are four fins'placed at the ships stern and therefore according to my invention the rings in the stern will be intersected by two pairs of girders connecting the ring corners where as fin ribs join. At the points of intersection of these girders they are connected together and the panels which are formed by the ring. girders and reinforcing girders are braced so as to constitute together with the ring a be kind of circular truss. Thereby a perfect reinforcement of the ships stern is attained making certain a secure way of transmitting the air stresses from the fins to the hull structure. It is of the highest importance to have to a safe construction in the ships stern where the stresses on the fins and on the rudders and elevators attached to them may vary greatly in strength as well as direction.

Having given a general explanation of my as invention I now want to point out the details thereof referring to the-drawing giving an example embodying my invention.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side view showing the construction of the ships stern and.

a giving in dotted lines the outer shape of the fins, rudders and elevators; Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig.

3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.

1. So is 4, only another way of staying the ring is represented.

In F 1g. 1 the outline of the horizontal fin is designated by the letter a and that of the elevator by b. The letter 0 represents the outlines of the vertical fin and d are the rudders. The contour of the ships stern is desighull (or rings) are marked 7 and f ribs situated in the same plane with these rings are designated by g. i

In Fig. 2 ring f is shown with the four nated by e. The two cross members of the The fins attached to it according to my invention.

Fig. 3 shows ring f with the same details as shown with Fig. 2. The ribs of the fins are designated by g to g respectively. Ribs g and g are connected to ribs 9 and g by means of girders 72. 6 It and b i, it, re-- spectively. In the same way ribs 9 and g are connected to ribs 9 and g by girders h, 71 h and h, 21 hfirespectively. The panels formed by the intersecting girders are stayed by braces k. The bearings for the rudders and elevators are designated by l and P.

In Fig. 4 another example is given showing how the reinforcement of the ring by means of girders may be attained. Here the ribs of the fins are not connected with those directly opposite but the ribs of adjacent fins are connected by girders as p and g, which cross each other. The point of intersection of these two girders. is connected with the adjacent ring corner by aligirder 1'. The ring truss thus created is stayed by Wires 9'.

I want it understood that I do not limit myself to the example described and shown in the drawing as many variations will occur v to ersonsif'skilled in the art.

la-imsi L'An airship of the rigid type, comprising a hull made up of longitudinal members and ring members, horizontal and vertical fins situated in the ships stern, the ribs of said fins that are situated in the plane of a ring being connected to each other by reinforcing girders situated within said ring. 2. An airship of the rigid type, comprising a hull made up of longitudinal members and ring members, horizontal and vertical fins situated in'- the ships stern, the ribs of said fins that are situated in the plane of a ring being connected to each other'by reinforcing girders situated within said ring,

said girders being connected to each other at their oints of intersection.

3. i n airship of the rigid type, compris- 5 ing a hull made up of longitudinal members and ring members, horizontal and vertical fins situatedin the ships stern, the ribs of said fins that are situated in the plane of a ring being connected to each other by reinforcing girders situated within said ring. said girders being connected to each other at their points of intersection, said points of intersection being braced bv tension members.

' KARL ARNSTEIN. 

